If you’ll remember, the American Crime Story franchise has a sordid history. Even before the breakout success of People v. O.J. Simpson, Season 2 was announced with a Hurricane Katrina focus, followed by a Versace season eyed to debut that same year. Versace was subsequently moved to Season 2, while Katrina has been heavily reworked, and little news emerged of a prospective fourth season built around the Monica Lewinsky scandal – until now. Murphy confirms to The Hollywood Reporter that despite acquiring the rights to Jeffrey Toobin’s A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Sex Scandal that Nearly Brought Down a President, they thought better of co-opting Lewinsky’s story:

I told her, ‘Nobody should tell your story but you, and it’s kind of gross if they do. If you want to produce it with me, I would love that; but you should be the producer and you should make all the goddamn money.’

In addition to teasing a role for Sarah Paulson, Murphy claimed the Clintons wouldn’t have a major role in the proposed season, which was more “about the birth of a specific movement in our country” than the players themselves. American Crime Story isn’t the only series with its future in jeopardy, however, as Murphy again called into question the already-announced second season of Feud based on Prince Charles and Princess Diana. “I’m still working on it,” the showrunner says. “And I don’t want to do anything unless I’m 100 percent sure.”

Murphy’s extensive THR profile at least confirms he’ll have a hand in existing FX properties going forward, but might Feud and Crime stories become few and far between?